Atlantic City Blackjack: A Beginner’s Guide
Atlantic City Blackjack is a standard classic version of blackjack. It’s a popular option for many NZ players because it offers a low house edge. This means you have pretty good chances of winning, particularly if you apply basic blackjack strategy. You can find this blackjack variant in many reputable casinos and brick-and-mortar casinos throughout New Zealand.
In this guide, we explain Atlantic City blackjack rules and provide a step-by-step guide to help you play Atlantic City blackjack. We’ll let you know how payouts work for this version and look at Atlantic City casino’s blackjack vs other blackjack games. You can find out why to play Atlantic City blackjack, strategies and tips and where to play. Finally, we’ll give you some links to other Blackjack guides so you can improve your game.
Basic Rules of Atlantic City Blackjack
Atlantic City uses the same principles as classic blackjack games. When playing, your objective is to reach 21 without surpassing it. You compete against the dealer, and the cards are valued the same as other blackjack variants. We recommend getting familiar with the classic version of the game before trying out any of the variants.
…your objective is to reach 21 without surpassing it.
When you’re playing at an online casino, most variations of Atlantic City use eight randomly-shuffled decks.
Card values
Like the classic blackjack version, Ace is the most powerful card in the deck. Cards are valued the same as other variants, with face cards having a value of 10. All other cards are valued as marked.
The peek
When you’re playing this form of blackjack in online casinos, the dealer stands when they reach 17. They also peek for blackjack because, in this form of the game, there’s what’s known as a hole card. This card is dealt face down.
The peek happens on aces and ten-value cards. If the dealer does have blackjack, they immediately expose their hole card. You’ll lose your wager unless you also have blackjack to compete with the dealer. The peek is a favourable rule for players when playing blackjack. It can save you money from double downs and unsuccessful splits. You will only lose your initial bet.
The Late Surrender
The Late Surrender rule is enforced in this version of blackjack. This means you can surrender any two-card combination against any dealer upcard.
Players can also choose to take our insurance if they wish, though many players using basic blackjack strategy typically avoid taking out an insurance bet. It’s not usually worthwhile.
Doubling down & splitting
Players are allowed to split a maximum of three times. After splitting, you can also double down on any two cards. The only restriction for splitting is if you have a pair of aces. You can only split aces once and receive just one more card.
If you’ve split an ace and you also hold a ten-value card, the total counts as a regular total of 21 rather than blackjack. This means the payout is only 1:1, instead of a regular blackjack payout. You can split unlike ten-value cards, such as J-Q, Q-K.
How to Play Atlantic City Blackjack
Follow this step-by-step guide if you’re looking to play a round of Atlantic City blackjack:
- Place Bets: When you’re gambling at an online casino playing Atlantic City-style blackjack, you’ll be asked to place your bet. Once you’ve made your bet, hit ‘Deal’. Like the standard variant, your goal is to get as close as possible to 21 without exceeding it. You’ll have the chance to take out an insurance bet if the dealer has an Ace or a face-up 10-value card.
- Action: In online blackjack variants, just like in resorts in Atlantic City, you’ll need to decide whether to hit or not. Taking a hit means taking additional cards, to try to get closer to 21. You can also choose to stand, which means leaving your hand as is. Or you can split your hand into multiple hands, which can be a useful strategy if you have ten-value cards.
Another option is to double, which means increasing your bet for one more card. When you double, where you can bet up to 100% more, you agree to take no further cards.
Gaining experience and researching strategies can be a good way to understand which action is right for your blackjack game. To help give you an advantage and boost your chances of winning at some of the best casinos around. - Close: When you’re satisfied that you’ve improved your hand and it’s as close to 21 as possible without busting, it’s time to Stand. Let the dealer play their hand. Remember, Atlantic City blackjack rules mean that the dealer stands on all hands that have a value equal to 17.
- Dealer Plays: It’s time for the dealer to play their hand. After they turn over their face-down card to become a face-up card, they will need to build their hand. They will either beat your hand, lose against your cards or go bust, and the round will be over. The dealer will then issue any winnings.
Payout in Atlantic City Blackjack
Knowing the payout when you’re gambling with real money in any game is important. The payout determines whether it’s likely you’ll make a profit over the long term. We always recommend checking all games before you begin playing to make sure you understand your chances. It also helps you to determine how to apply your strategy correctly to help you win more money.
When you play blackjack using the Atlantic City variant, the payout is standard. Like other forms of the game, it’s 3:2 for blackjack. This payout is advantageous to the player and decreases the edge of the house. With this form of payout, you get a net gain of one and a half times your original wager. For example, you’ll earn $15 in profits if you get blackjack from an original bet of $10.
Some casinos do pay differently for Atlantic City blackjack variants, such as a payout of 6:5. These games are often not worth playing if you’re looking to make money. They offer a significant reduction in your potential winnings over the long term. For example, for every $10 you wager, you’ll only win $12.
Atlantic City Blackjack vs. Other Versions
Atlantic City Blackjack got its name from one of America’s top gambling destinations, the resorts of Atlantic City. Although the basic rules are identical to many other variations of the game, it does have some differences. The main being it uses eight decks of cards. This volume of cards does make it difficult for anyone hoping to do some card counting.
Here are some of the other variants of blackjack and how Atlantic City blackjack differs from each:
Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip is probably the most popular version of Blackjack. It attracts plenty of New Zealand players at some of the best online casinos. With exciting gameplay and some interesting rules, it’s easy to see why. Players can double down on any two cards from the initial deal. You can also split a maximum of four hands during a game. In this blackjack game version, you can also split 10-valued cards, which are unlike.
European blackjack
European blackjack games are most commonly played in online casinos in Europe, but they’re popular in NZ too. Like Atlantic City blackjack, they’re similar to a standard blackjack game. The dealer also has to stand on a soft 17, but they’re not required to peek for blackjack as it isn’t a game that uses a hole card.
Double exposure
In this version of blackjack, the dealer gets two cards placed face up. As a player, this gives you a huge advantage against the house. But, many casinos that offer this version of the game also impose additional rules to try to gain the upper hand. The biggest drawback of this version is the payout for blackjack is only 1:1. And the dealer automatically wins whenever there is a tie, except if you have a natural blackjack. You can also only split a pair once.
Blackjack switch
This multi-hand version means you always play with two hands. Your original bets have to be the same for each hand, though you can switch cards between hands. This approach means you can avoid a bust, or improve your hand total.
Progressive blackjack
This version is also very similar to the classic game. It uses six decks of cards, although it can vary depending on each online casino. Payouts also depend on the casino and the number of aces you collect.
Spanish 21
This version of online blackjack typically uses either six or eight decks. The difference in this version is that all 10’s are removed.
Multi-hand blackjack
Multi-hand blackjack is mainly played online. To play in a land-based casino you’d need to find a table with several free seats. The main difference in this version is that you can play up to five hands at the same time.
Why Play This Version of Blackjack
Playing this version of blackjack offers lots of advantages. Its player-friendly rules mean you can take advantage of your basic blackjack strategy knowledge. Here are some other reasons to play this version of blackjack in NZ casinos:
- A low house edge to help improve your chances of winning.
- You can use a Late Surrender to claim a refund for some of your bet if you think the dealer is going to win.
- The dealer is forced to stand on a soft 17.
- It’s a fast-paced game, so great if you enjoy playing fast.
- The dealer peek for blackjack can help prevent you from losing more money by splitting or doubling down.
- It’s easy to grasp and play.
- You can easily adjust your strategy for this version of the game.
Strategies & Tips for Atlantic City Blackjack
The basic strategy for this version is pretty much the same as the standard version of the game. But there are a couple of little differences that are important to know. Here are some different strategies that are useful when gambling online in Atlantic City blackjack games.
💡 The Dealer holds at 17: It’s worth remembering that the dealer must stop when they hit 17 in the Atlantic City variant. This knowledge can change your own approach if you’re sitting on 17 or 18.
💡 Be careful splitting aces: When you split Aces, you only get one additional card for each of your two new hands. While you may get lucky, it can be a little risky if you draw two low cards.
💡 Insurance is still not a good idea: Regardless of the version you’re playing, it’s never usually a good bet to take out an insurance side bet. A Late Surrender may be a better option when you’re playing the Atlantic City version.
💡 Be wary of surrender overuse: Some players can get a little reliant on using Late Surrender. Make sure you don’t end up throwing away a hand that you should keep playing.
Where can I play Atlantic City blackjack?
You can find Atlantic City blackjack at the top online casino sites throughout New Zealand. Check out our recommendations for some of the best online casinos for blackjack to find one that’s right for you.
Our Other Blackjack guides
If you love blackjack, or you’re interested in improving your game, check out our guides. We’ve put together a range of guides that provide plenty of advice on basic strategy, house rules and tips to help you improve your game.
Check out our guides:
- Blackjack insurance explained
- When to surrender in a game of blackjack
- How to play blackjack (perfect for beginners)
- A Guide to Vegas Strip Blackjack
The Bottom Line
Atlantic City blackjack is a popular variation of the game that many New Zealand players enjoy. Not only is it simple to play with some basic blackjack strategy, but it offers one of the lowest house edges you can find. The Atlantic City version is also widely available in many online casinos and accessible from mobile devices to play on the go.
As with any game, we recommend double-checking the rules of the game at each online casino site you’re playing. Also, take a look at some guides to help you understand the game better. Always use a licensed and reputable casino to stay safe. It’s a challenging, fun and interesting version to try if you’re ready to start playing blackjack!
References:
- State of New Jersey Casino Control Commission. “Casino Gaming in New Jersey”, https://www.nj.gov/casinos/law/gamingnj/
- Wikipedia. “Blackjack”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackjack
- YouTube. “BlakcjackBonus: Atlantic City Blackjack Online”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXUj9yPHRSs
Noah is the senior content editor at CasinoCrawlers and a writer with many iGaming articles under his portfolio. Therefore, he is skilled at writing bonus guidelines, gambling strategies, and casino reviews. During his spare time, he enjoys playing Call of Duty and is a huge rugby fan.
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